Apparatus for untangling wires



United States PatentU APPARATUS FOR UNTANGLING WIRES Joseph R. Werth, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York This invention relates to apparatus for untangling wires and more particularly to a device for untangling crossed wire springs of wire spring relay combs.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved device for sequentially flexing alternate wire springs of a- -wire spring relay comb-to untangle them.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device in which a rotatable camming member for sequentially flexing alternate wire springs of a wire spring relay comb to untangle them is provided with a flat side whereby the camming member is rotated from a position engaging the wire springs to a position with the flat side up Patented May 3, 1960 edges, the crenelations having therein a plurality of camming grooves 28 for receiving the wire springs 15 to sequentially lift alternate wire springs 15 to untangle them. This sequential lifting effect is accomplished because the camming grooves 28 of each crenelated edge are each positioned diametrically opposite a crenel in the other crenelated edge. The rotor 27 is spaced from the conveyor 11 whereby, when the rotor is horizontally positioned, it will not obstruct movement of the wire comb 13 being moved horizontally into work position and, when it is rotated to its vertical position, it will lift alternate wire springs 15 to untangle them. A gear 29 secured to the rotor 27 for rotating it is meshed with a gear 30 secured to a shaft 31 mounted on the plate 25 and a plate 33 which is spaced from the plate 25 and secured to the base 12. A rod 34 mounted on the vertical plates 24, 25 and 33 supports the ends of the wire springs 15 when the wire comb 13 is moved into operating position.

A piston rod 35 of an air cylinder 37 supported above the base 12 carries a vertical rack 38 which is meshed with the gear 30 to drive it and thus rotate the rotor 27 to alternately move the wire springs 15 to untangle them. The gears 29 and 30 are so arranged that the rotor 27 is held in a horizontal, out of the way position to permit advancement of the wire comb 13 when the piston rod to provide clearance for a wire combas it is moved into work position by a conveyor. One embodiment of the present invention for untangling crossed wire springs of "wire spring relay combs may include a rotor having two parallel fiat sides and a plurality of camming grooves for sequentially flexing alternate Wire springs of the wire comb to untangle them.

Thevwire comb is moved by a conveyor into alignment above one of the flat sides of the rotor and the rotor is then rotated so that the camming grooves receive the wire springs to untangle them.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description thereof and the accompanying drawings illu'strating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation showing a conveyor and that portion of the device used to hold the wire comb while it is being straightened;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the rotor turned 90 from its inoperaitve position to lift alternate wire springs;

Fig. 3 is a view of the rotor and wires taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the manner in which the rotor lifts alternate wire springs to untangle them; and

Fig. 4 is a reduced view showing a wire comb having crossed wires which the device of the present invention is adapted to untangle.

. Referring now in detail to the drawings an intermittently advanced conveyor 11 mounted on a base 12 (Figs. 1 and 2) is shown supporting a wire spring relay comb 13 having wire springs 15 to be untangled by the device of the present invention. The conveyor 11 is driven by a sprocket 16 (Fig. 1) actuated by a motor 17 (Fig. 2). A block 19 spaced above the conveyor 11 and secured to the base 12 has a spring loaded plunger 20 (Fig. 1) for holding the. wire comb 13 on the conveyor 11 in work position as the wire springs 15 are straightened. The plunger 20 has a beveled face 21 so that the wire comb 13 will cam the plunger upward as the comb moves into work position. Hooks 23 are rigidly secured to the conveyor 11 and move with it for positively feeding the combs 13 at spaced intervals into 35 is in its inoperative (uppermost) position.

In operating the device, the conveyor 11 is actuated by the motor 17 to move the wire comb 13 into work position (Fig. 2). As the conveyor 11 is moving the wire comb 13 into work position, the rotor 27 is held in a horizontal position with one of its flat sides up so that it will not obstruct the wire comb 13 as it is moved into work position. When the wire comb 13 is in work. position the conveyor 11 is stopped and the air cylinder 37 is actuated to carry the rack 38 downward to rotate the gears 29 and 30 and drive the rotor 27. As the rotor 27 turns, the camming grooves 28 on one edge of the rotor 27 receive alternate wire springs 15 to them while the other springs lie in the crenels between the crenelations having the camming grooves. As the rotor turns further, these alternate springs and the other springs are alternately lifted. The block 19 and the plunger 20 hold the wire comb 13 on the conveyorll as the comb is being straightened.

As the rack 38 moves downward and then upward to normal position the rotor 27 rotates first in one direction then in another, thus sequentially lifting alternate wire springs 15 several times to provide assurance that the untangling operation is properly performed. When the rack 38 reaches its uppermost position it is stopped and the conveyor 11 is actuated whereby the straightened wire comb 13 is moved out of work posi tion and another wire comb 13 is moved into work position to be untangled.

Certainfeatures of the present invention are disclosed and claimed in co-pending application Serial No. 504,- 486, filed April 28, 1955, for Apparatus for Untangling Wires Secured to an Article by N. H. Swanson.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. Numerous other are rangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for untangling a plurality of crossed wires secured to an article, comprising a base, means secured to the base for holding hte artcile in work position, a flat member rotatably supported by the base and having a plurality of notched edges, said notches in one edge being-laterally staggered from the notches in the remaining edges so as tov causethe wires to be sequentially flexed and untangled as said edges are rotated past said wires, and means mounted on the base for rotating the member to engage and untangle the wires and for stop ping the member with its flat side in position toprovide clearance for the insertion of the article into the holding means.

2. A device for untangling a plurality of crossed wires secured to an article, comprising a base, means on the base for moving the article into Work position, means secured to the base'for holding the article in work pos'ition, a flat rotatable member positioned adjacent to the article held in work position and having crenelated opposite edges for engaging the wires to sequentially flex and untangle said wires, each said edge having crenels spaced opposite camming grooves in the' other edge, and means mounted on the base for rotating the member from a position engaging said wires and for stopping the member with the crenelated edges clear of the article.

3. A device for untangling a plurality of crossed wires secured to an article, comprising a base, means onv the base for moving the article into work position, means secured to the base for holding said article in work position, a fiat member positioned adjacent'to the article held in work position and having crenelated opposite edges provided with a plurality of camming surfaces for sequentially receiving alternate wires to flex and untangle said wires in sequence, said camming surfaces on one edge being laterally ofiset from the camming surfaces on the other edge, and means mounted onv the base for rotating the fiat member from a position engaging said wires and for stopping said member with the crenelated edges thereof free from the article as said article is moved into work position.

4. A device for untangling a plurality of crossed wires secured to an article, comprising a base, a fiat member mounted on the base and having a plurality of lands and grooves on opposite edges for engaging the wires, said lands on each edges being diametrically opposite to the grooves in the other edge whereby alternate wires are sequentially flexed, a conveyor mounted on the base and extending past the flat member for moving the article into .work position to be engaged by the flat member,

means on the base for holding the article in work po sition, means mounted onthe base for actuating the flat member and for stopping said member with the edges thereof in position to provide clearance for the article as said article is moved into work position, and means secured to the base for supporting the wires being untangled.

5. A device for untangling a plurality of crossed wires secured to an article, comprising a base, a conveyor mounted on the base for moving an article into work position, a spring loaded plunger mounted on the base for holding the article in said work position as a plurality of wires of the article are being straightened, means mounted on the base and spaced from the conveyor for supporting the ends of the wires to be straightened, a flat rotatable member mounted on the base adjacent to the wires and having at plurality of staggered lands and grooves on opposite edges for engaging and sequentially lifting alternate wires to untangle said wires when'in said work position, and means for rotating the member, said rotating means having a final motion in which the -fl'at member is stopped in a position with the edges thereedge and means on the base for rotating the rotatable member.

f References Cited in thevfile of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,760,629 

